Submachine guns are portable automatic magazine fed air-cooled guns designed to be fired from the shoulder or hip. Submachine guns are prohibited in the UK.

See ‘Gun Law’ page.

IDENTIFICATION - Because imitation guns look like real guns it can be impossible to tell without close examination if a gun being brandished during an incident is real or an imitation, deactivated, airgun, airsoft, replica, bb, toy or paintball gun. Victims of armed crime are traumatised and not surprisingly unable to identify the gun being used to assault them. Media reporting is unreliable and unless guns are fired or recovered and can be authenticated they are categorised as ‘unidentified’.

1. SUBMACHINE GUNS – FATALITIES

Submachine guns have been used in a number of homicides in the UK.

2. SUBMACHINE GUNS - VIOLENT CRIME

Submachine guns, or non-licensed guns resembling submachine guns are used to enable crimes including armed robbery, drug related crimes, intimidation, threats, and drive-by random shootings. Incidents require police investigation, hospital treatment, court costs, insurance and repairs. Victims and families endure pain and suffering, time off work, loss of income and disruption to daily life. Submachine gun crime is paid for by individuals, the community and the taxpayer.

Criminals banned by the courts from possessing guns, and those banned from possessing guns by virtue of having served prison sentences, can still buy imitation and deactivated submachine guns online, from international suppliers, UK dealers and private sellers, forums, websites newspapers and magazines, no background checks are required.

4. SUBMACHINE GUNS – MENTAL HEALTH, ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Imitation and deactivated submachine guns can be bought by individuals suffering from mental health issues and those involved in alcohol and drug abuse, no background checks are required.

There have been a number of prosecutions regarding illegal commercial ‘gun factories’ found to be engaged in reactivating and converting deactivated and imitation submachine guns, some involving large numbers of weapons organised on an industrial scale. Several such enterprises have involved ex-military individuals, dealers and gun collectors.

6. SUBMACHINE GUNS – COST TO THE PUBLIC

Submachine gun crime, and imitation/deactivated submachine gun crime has financial cost implications for society and for individuals in terms of police time, hospital services, the judiciary, insurance, local authority services, time off work, disruption to daily life, commerce, industry and transport. Submachine gun crime and imitation/deactivated submachine gun crime is paid for by individuals, the community and the taxpayer.

Unlike licensed guns imitation and deactivated guns are not subject to any safe storage conditions. They are left in cupboards and drawers in homes, outhouses, sheds, vehicles, boats caravans etc. where security is inadequate and they are stolen by petty criminals.